Laundry apparatus



June 4, 1963 R. H. BRILL ETAL LAUNDRY APPARATUS Filed May 22, 1961 r m m H 1. y M m: n

3,091,974 LAUNDRY APPARATUS Richard H. Brill and Henry J. Biczel, both of Philadelphia,

Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed May 22, 1961, Ser. No. 111,803 Claims. (Cl. 7424 2.15)

The present invention relates to laundry apparatus and more particularly to an adjustable mounting structure for the drive unit of a washer-dryer combination machine which operates cyclically to subject fabric articles or clothes to a series of washing, liquid-extracting and fabricdrying operations.

A washer-dryer of the kind mentioned above customarily comprises a drum-and-tube assembly including a clothescontaining drum mounted rotatably in a water-retaining tub which surrounds the drum, the latter being adapted to rotate Within a predetermined lower speed range for washing and drying and within a predetermined higher speed range for extracting water from the clothes. Such a washer-dryer combination machine also includes a pump and a fan, the pump functioning to drain water from the tub at preset times in the course of washing, rinsing and water-extracting operations, and the fan serving to circulate heated air through the drum-and-tub assembly during a drying cycle. For reasons of constructional simplicity and operational convenience, it is usual practice to group the pump, the motor and the variable speed transmission device in a unitary assemblage and to mount this assemblage on an outer surface of the drum-and-tub assembly, the pump being connected to one end of the motor shaft, the other end of which is connected with the fan through a pulley-and belt arrangement and which is also connected with the transmission device for driving the drum by means of another pulley-and-belt arrangement.

Such known constructions, although having noteworthy advantages, give rise to certain difliculties and problems. For example, in order to obtain satisfactory driving of the drum and fan, it is customary to provide supplemental means constructed and disposed in engagement with the drive belts to adjust the tension thereof. The provision of such supplemental means not only increases production cost but moreover requires additional space and thus necessitates undesirable enlargement of the overall size of the machine cabinet. Furthermore the construction and assembly of special means to effect proper tensioning of the drive belts demand intricate and expensive adjusting procedures.

It i s therefore an object of this invention to overcome the above noted difficulties and problems by providing a novel combination of elements which insures easy adjustment of the tension of the belts without requiring costly complicated means for that purpose. In. achievement of this general object, the invention employs an improved mounting structure which incorporates simple bracket members whereby the drive assembly can easily be displaced as a unit to adjust and maintain the tension of the driving belt arrangements. This feature of the invention provides for accurate adjustment of the tension of the belt utilized to drive the clothes-containing drum, as well as of the belt utilized to drive the fan, each of said belts being adjusted individually and the tension adjustments of one belt being accomplished without disturbing the adjusted tension of the other belt.

Other and more specific objects of the invention have to do with the characteristic manner in which the water draining pump is connected to the drive assembly, and also with the particular manner in which the drive assembly and pump are associated with the mounting structure of the invention. In accordance with these specific ch- 3 ,091,974 Patented June 4, 1963 jects, the drive assembly which includes the motor and the variable speed transmission are capable of movement as a unit with respect to the pump so as to prevent the latter from interfering with displacement of the drive assembly to effect desired belt tensioning adjustments.

The full nature of the invention and the manner in which the above mentioned as well as other objects and features are realized will be more fully understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a rear View, partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating a washer-dryer combination machine which incorporates a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of the associated mounting structure and drive assembly shown in FIGURE :1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view of the arrangement as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional View taken in back of the motor and looking in the direction of arrows 4--4 of FIG- URE 2; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views illustrating the manner in which the tensioning adjustment of each belt is accomplished.

With more particular reference to the drawing, the essential elements of the illustrated clothes washer-dryer combination machine includes an outer cabinet 10 in which a drum-and-tub assembly 11 is enclosed. The assembly 11 comprises a perforated cylindrical tumbling drum 12 adapted to rotate about a substantially horizontal axis within a cylindrical liquid-retaining tub .14. For that purpose, a rigid shaft '15 which is afiixed to the rearward end wall 16 of the drum 12, extends axially of the latter and passes through the customary bearing structure (not shown) incorporated in the rear wall 17 of the tub 14. A pulley 18 is keyed or otherwise secured rigidly to the outer end of the shaft .15 and is engaged by a drive belt 19 in engagement with a pulley 2t affixed to rotatable jack shaft 241 of variable speed transmission device 22 which is disposed adjacent one end 23 of an electric motor 24 and which has a main drive shaft 25 coupled to said motor.

Water fed to the drum-and-tub assembly for washing and rinsing operations is withdrawn from the drum-andtub assembly by function of a drain pump 26 and is discharged through a drain line 27 under control of a solenoid actuated valve 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump is disposed adjacent the other end 29 (FIG- URE 2) of the motor 24 and is drivenly connected to the latter so that said pump and motor, together with the transmission device 22, form a compact unit which is conveniently suspended from a lower portion of the tub 14.

For the drying operation, a fan 30 mounted on the rear wall 17 of the tub 14 circulates heated dry air through the drum-and-tub assembly and in heat exchange relation with the wet clothes to pick up and entrain moisture therefrom. The fan is adapted to draw heated dry air through the drum-and-tub assembly and to discharge hot moisture-laden air through exhaust conduit means 31. The fan is driven through a second belt 32 running between a pair of pulleys 33 and 34, one pulley 33 being keyed or otherwise anchored on impeller shaft portion 35 which extends outwardly of said fan, the other pulley 64 being keyed or otherwise anchored on the projected end of the motor driven shaft 25 of the transmission device 22.

As indicated above, the assembled unit including the pump 26, the motor 24 and the variable speed transmis sion device 22, is supported by the tub 14. For that purpose, two sets 36 and 37 of brackets are disposed in spaced position on said tub and, in particular accordance with the invention, these brackets are constructed 3 and arranged to effect adjustment of the tension of the belts 19 and 32.

The first set 36 of brackets is disposed at the transmission-carrying end 23 of the motor and, as more clearly shown in FIGURE 3, includes three brackets 38394i one bracket 38 being welded or otherwise aifixed to the tub 14, another bracket 40 being fixedly attached to said end 23 of the motor, and the remaining bracket 39 being located intermediately of and connected to said brackets 38 and 44) for adjustment with respect thereto. The second set 37 of brackets is disposed at the pump carrying end 2? of the motor and, as more clearly shown in FIGURE 4, includes two brackets 41 and 42, the bracket 41 being welded or otherwise securely affixed to tub 14, the other bracket 42 being coupled to the easing of the pump 26 at the above mentioned end 29 of the motor,

In the illustrated specific embodiment the brackets 39 and 40 are adjustably interconnected by means of threaded studs 44 and nuts 45, said studs being anchored to said bracket 39 and passing through arcuate slots 46 in said bracket 4%. The intermediate bracket 39 is provided with a lateral projection 50 which rests in a seating portion 51 formed in a section of the bracket 38 which overlaps said intermediate bracket. Likewise, the bracket 42 disposed at the pump-carrying end of the motor is provided with a lateral projection 52 which rests in a seating portion 53 formed in the section of the bracket 4-1 which overlaps said bracket 42. The projections 50 and 52 in engagement within their respective seating portions 51 and 53 provide pivots for adjustable swinging movements of brackets 39, 4th and 42 which are adapted to be locked in adjusted position by means of bolts 54 passing through elongated slots 55 in brackets 38 and 41.

As more clearly seen in FIGURE 4 the bracket 42 has a bifurcated portion 56 adapted to straddle a disc member 57 rigidly connected, as by means of machine screws 58, to the casing of the water pump 26 and concentric with the pump impeller shaft 59 which is drivenly coupled to the motor shaft. The bifurcated portion 56 of the bracket 42 sits in an annular groove 69 formed in the circumferential surface of the disc member 57 and is provided with hooks 61 with which clamping straps 62 are in engagement. These straps frictionally engage the lower half portion of said disc member when a fastening element, such as a bolt 63, between said straps is tightened to draw the same together and snugly against said portion of the disc member 57.

When tension of the belts 19 and 32 need adjustment, the bolts 54 are first loosened to slide freely in slots 55 of the fixed brackets 38 and 41 so that the interconnected brackets 39 and 40 at one end of the motor assembly, and the bracket 42 at the other end of said assembly are free for pivotal movement about an axis coinciding with the axes of the projections 50 and 52. Because of this pivotal movement, the pulley-carrying shaft portions 21 and 25 are displaced together as diagrammatically represented in FIGURE 5. Accordingly it will be understood that the tension of the fan belt 32 as well as the tension of the drum belt 19 increases when the assemblage is pivoted about projections 50 and 52 in clockwise direction as represented by arrow A in FIGURE 5, and decreases when the assemblage is pivoted about said projections in counterclockwise direction as represented by arrow B in said FIGURE 5. This first adjustment, in accordance with the invention, is done primarily to adjust the tension of the fan belt 32 and, after proper tension of this belt has been established, the bolts 54 are securely tightened to prevent any further pivotal motion about the aforesaid projections 50 and 52.

In the event that adjustment of the drum belt 19 is required, then the latter can be adjusted to proper tension by loosening the nuts on threaded studs 44 thereby freeing the bracket 40 to slide on an arc corresponding to the curvature of the arcuate slots 46, and by loosening the bolt 63 to release the disc member 57, so that the motor assembly is free to rotate about an axis defined by the longitudinally aligned shafts 59 and 25, and without interference by the pump 26 which normally has limited freedent of movement due to its connection to the drain outlet of the tub 14. In this manner, it will be understood that the tension of the drum belt '19 increases when the aforesaid assembly is rotated in clockwise direction as represented by arrow C in FIGURE 6, and decreases when the assembly is rotated in counterclockwise direction as represented by arrow D in said FIGURE 6. After the proper tensioning of the belt :19 has been established, the nuts 45 and bolt 63 are retightened to secure the bracket 40 and the aforesaid assembly in properly adjusted position. It will be recognized that adjustment of the drum belt 19, does not in any way affect the tension adjustment of the fan belt 32 since the rotational motion which establishes the tension of said drum belt is about an axis coinciding to the axis of the pulley 34 with which said fan belt is associated.

Although a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to specific structures of this embodiment but embraces such changes and variations as come within the scope of the subjoined claims.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus of the type having instrumentalities adapted to be driven by means of driving belts, the combination comprising a driving unit including a first shaft in driving engagement with one of said belts and a second shaft in driving engagement with another of said belts, and structure supporting said unit and including a pivot and a slidable connection, said pivot being incorporated in said structure for swinging movement of said unit to effect simultaneous displacement of both of said shafts in directions transverse to their axes to adjust the tension of both of said belts, said slidable connectionbeing incorporated in said structure for swinging movement of said unit to effect displacement of one of said shafts on an are about the other of said shafts to adjust the tension of the one of said belts which is engaged by said one of said shafts.

2. In apparatus of the type having instrumentalities adapted to be driven by means of driving belts, the combination comprising a driving unit including a first shaft in driving engagement with one of said belts and a second shaft in driving engagement with another of said belts, and structure supporting said unit and including two brackets separated by an intermediate bracket, said intermediate bracket and one of said two brackets having a pivot for swinging movement of said unit to eifect simultaneous displacement of both of said shafts in directions transverse to their axes to adjust the tension of both of said belts, said intermediate bracket and the other of said two brackets having a slidable connection for swinging movement of said unit to effect displacement of one of said shafts on an are about the other of said shafts to adjust the tension of the one of said belts which is engaged by said one of said shafts.

3. For use in driving a rotatable drum and air-circulating fan of a washer-dryer, the combination comprising a driving unit including a pair of rotatably driven shafts spaced from and paralleling each other, a belt for drivingly connecting said drum to one of said shafts, another belt for drivingly connecting said fan to the other of said shafts, and structure mounting said unit for movement to displace both of said shafts with respect to said drum and fan and about a pivot spaced transversely from the axes of said shafts to adjust the tension of both of said belts and further to displace one of said shafts with respect to said drum and fan on an are about the other of said shafts to further adjust the tension of the one belt connected with said one of said shafts.

4. For use in driving a rotatable drum and air-circulating fan of a washer-dryer having a tub rotatably supporting and enclosing said drum and carrying said fan, the combination comprising a drive unit including a motor provided with a variable speed device, said device having a main shaft rotatable at a constant rate of speed and a jack shaft rotatable at different rates of speed, a first belt for drivingly connecting said drum to said jack shaft, 8. second belt for drivingly connecting said fan to said main shaft, and structure for supporting said unit from said tub, said structure including two brackets separated by an intermediate bracket, said intermediate bracket and one of said two brackets having means for movement of said unit to displace both of said shafts about a pivot spaced transversely from their axes to adjust the tension of said first and second belts, said intermediate bracket and the other of said two brackets having means for movement of said unit to displace said jack shaft on an are about said main shaft to further adjust the tension of said first belt.

5. For use in driving a rotatable drum and air-circulating fan of a washer-dryer having a tub rotatably supporting and enclosing said drum and carrying said fan, the combination comprising a drive unit including a motor provided with a variable speed device and with a waterdraining pump adapted for connection with said tub, said device having a main shaft rotatable at a constant rate of speed and a jack shaft rotatable at different rates of speed, a first belt for drivingly connecting said drum to said jack shaft, a second belt for drivingly connecting said fan to said main shaft, and structure for supporting said unit from said tub, said structure including two sets of relatively movable brackets, one of said sets consisting of two brackets separated by an intermediate bracket, said intermediate bracket and one of said two brackets having means for movement of said unit to displace both shafts with respect to said drum and fan about a pivot spaced transversely of their axes to adjust the tension of said first and second belts, said intermediate bracket and the other of said two brackets having means for movement of said unit to displace said jack shaft on an are about said main shaft to further adjust the tension of said first belt, the other of said sets of brackets consisting of two adjoining brackets provided with pivotal means and having releasable coupling connection with said pump to prevent the latter from interfering with the aforementioned movements of said unit.

References ited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,527 Dahl Oct. 9, 1951 2,778,235 Amonsen J an. 22, 1957 2,986,917 Smith June 6, 1961 

1. IN APPARATUS OF THE TYPE HAVING INSTRUMENTALITIES ADAPTED TO BE DRIVEN BY MEANS OF DRIVING BELTS, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A DRIVING UNIT INCLUDING A FIRST SHAFT IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH ONE OF SAID BELTS AND A SECOND SHAFT IN DRIVING ENGAGEMENT WITH ANOTHER OF SAID BELTS, AND STRUCTURE SUPPORTING SAID UNIT AND INCLUDING A PIVOT AND A SLIDABLE CONNECTION, SAID PIVOT BEING INCORPORATED IN SAID STRUCTURE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT OF SAID UNIT TO EFFECT SIMULTANEOUS DISPLACEMENT OF BOTH OF SAID SHAFTS 